Gilad Erdan Drops Out of Election Race as Ha-Ahdut Party Fails to Gain Traction
Gilad Erdan announced his Ha-Ahdut party will not run in the upcoming elections due to insufficient support and failed alliances. Olympic medalist Oren Smadja, who recently joined the party, declared he will not vote.
After extensive efforts, Gilad Erdan announced that his "Ha-Ahdut" party will not run in the upcoming Knesset elections. He stated that the decision follows the failure of attempts to forge alliances with other factions and a lack of sufficient public support. Notably, shortly before the candidate lists were finalized, Olympic medalist Oren Smadja had announced his joining the party.
Oren Smadja: "I Am Not Voting in the Elections"
Against the backdrop of the party's failure, the prominent athlete addressed political developments and declared that he does not intend to support any party. In an interview with media personality Avri Gilad on 103FM radio, Smadja said:
"As of today, I am not voting. I do not have a person, a leader, or someone who makes me want to vote for them. It is very sad, for the first time in all the elections I have voted in... this is simply a very big dilemma. I am sure there are many other people like me."
Smadja added that he will not remain passive, expressing hope that the political discourse will change before election day. He noted that he hopes someone will take these issues and present them to the public, warning that the current trajectory is concerning.
Gilad Erdan Announces Withdrawal from the Race
Following the party's failure to secure significant public backing, Gilad Erdan issued a press statement explaining the decision to withdraw:
"Throughout my life, I have served the people of Israel and the State of Israel. Out of this sense of mission, I established the 'Ha-Ahdut' party a few weeks ago, because I believe Israel needs a broad Zionist government that can pass a genuine draft law and resolve disputes. Unfortunately, after about a month of campaigning, reality shows that in the upcoming elections, a large majority of the public primarily seeks a clear decision on the identity of the prime minister, and the need for a broad unity government is not high on the citizens' priority list."
Erdan added that despite numerous efforts, the current level of support does not guarantee crossing the electoral threshold with high probability, and potential merger options with other factions in the unity bloc did not materialize.
